It is the soldier
Not the President who gives us democracy.
It is the soldier
Not the Congress who keeps us free.
It is the soldier
Not the Reporter who has given us Freedom of Press.
It is the soldier
Not the Poet who has given us Freedom of Speech.
It is the soldier
Not the campus organizer who has given us the Freedom to Demonstrate.
It is the soldier
Who salutes the flag;
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
That allows the protester to burn the flag.

This poem taken from the Internet captures the essence and the spirit of Veterans Day. Nations have always honored their soldiers when they needed them. Other times they are treated as a nuisance. Rudyard Kipling put it best when he wrote:

“For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ ‘Chuck him out, the brute!’
But it’s ‘Saviour of ‘is country’ when the guns begin to shoot;
And it’s Tommy this, and Tommy that, an’ anything you please,
An’ Tommy ain’t a bloomin’ fool you bet that Tommy sees.”

There is no real argument that the world in which we live has become a dangerous place. We stand as the strongest nation in the world. We face challenges unheard of in the past history of mankind; Oceans no longer protect our shores. Rapid transportation can bring an enemy into our midst with the speed of sound. In Iraq and Afghanistan we are asking the soldier to do things that she has never done before. Yes, many of our young women are standing beside the men in the areas of operation.

On any given day he or she may be on combat patrol. The next day may be spent building a school or restoring a water supply. Another day will be spent training the local nationals in the ways of a democratic state; a different kind of war and a different kind of soldier. These are literally the best and brightest we have to give. They deserve our support.

Take time this weekend to say thank you to your veteran. Take a few minutes and write a note to someone you know who is serving in the military establishment. If you don’t know anyone, let Xerox say thank you for you. Go to

www.letssaythanks.com.

You can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and send it to a soldier who is currently serving in harm’s way. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services. You can send as many as you please.

Whether your veteran served in WW II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, or is serving today in the Global Wear On Terrorism remember the little poem at the beginning. The freedom we have today is a gift from tens of thousands of men and women who went where they were sent and did the job they were asked to do. Keep America free, God bless the soldier, sailor, airman and marine.